


A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

by writingwillow



Series: A Twist of Fate [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Baby Harry, Fluff, Getting Together, Knitting, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mild Language, Pregnant Lily, Remus didn't go to Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-07 06:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8787154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingwillow/pseuds/writingwillow
Summary: Sirius Black has just been asked to be godfather to his best mate's unborn child. While looking for the perfect gift, he stumbles upon a knitting shop. He decides to knit baby booties, but knitting turns out to be a bit more difficult than he originally thought. And there's something intriguing about the shop owner, Remus Lupin, but he just can't put his finger on it...Or: Remus Lupin teaches Sirius Black how to knit, and somewhere between knitting needles and yarn vomit, they fall just a little bit in love.





	1. The Black Sheep

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, very special thanks go to [Jmiller](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Jmiller), who is the best, nerdiest sister a nerdy sister could ask for, without whom this story would never have been more than a vague idea conceived on a March afternoon by the pool. Thank you for holding my hand, answering late night texts, reading terrible first drafts, and listening to me rant and talk through this story patiently when any normal person would've written me off as crazy. You're the best and I love you. (Don't tell Mare-Bear, but today you get to be my favorite sister.)
> 
> Also, sincere thanks to [Worthfull1](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Worthfull1/pseuds/Worthfull1) for alpha reading and cheerleading and generally loving this story as much as me. You're wonderful and I love being able to call you my friend.
> 
> [AccioMasterofDeath](http://acciomasterofdeath.tumblr.com/) did the beta read and went over this thing with a fine-toothed comb to find and fix the glaring mistakes. You are an actual angel and thank you so, so much for putting your time and enthusiasm into this. You get a thousand hugs, my dear.
> 
> Special mention to [M1sc1efmanaged](http://m1sc1efmanaged.tumblr.com/) and [Protectnevillelongbottom](http://protectnevillelongbottom.tumblr.com/), my Tumblr pals, who inspired this with a post about magic yarn. Thank you for encouraging me to take that headcanon and run off into the wilderness with it. You two are amazing.
> 
> This is the first fic I've written since about 2006, so please be kind if you'd like to offer constructive criticism. This fic is finished and will update weekly. Thanks for reading!

    Remus Lupin walked in the back door of his shop at precisely 10 minutes to 8 on Saturday morning. He went about turning on the lights, checking the till, and ensuring all of the displays were in order before he flipped the sign on the door over to read _Open_. Certain that he wouldn’t have customers so early he set about making himself a cup of tea to ward off the early morning chill. It was the first week of December and the air had turned brisk as autumn slid into winter.

    As the morning wore on the street outside grew busy with bustling shoppers doing their weekend errands – some certainly making a few early Christmas purchases. Remus sat at his desk beside the till and sketched a few ideas for a new flyer to put up at the local cafés. He hoped to do good business with the holidays coming up and supposed the flyers could only help. He stretched and stood to write some notes about inventory before wandering to the back of the shop to make himself another cup of tea.

    The bell above the door tinkled, announcing the arrival of a customer. Remus paused in his tea-making and said, “I’ll be with you in just a moment!” before putting on a smile which quickly slipped off his face when he took in the sight of the person in front of him.

    Broad shoulders, slim-hips, long black hair and a mouth made for sinning with high cheekbones and clear grey eyes rendered Remus speechless for a moment before he remembered himself and spoke.

    “Good morning,” he said.  “What can I do for you?”

    “Do you teach classes?” the stranger asked.  “I mean, for absolute beginners, because I haven’t the faintest idea what I’m doing but I really need to learn.”

    Remus was puzzled and gave the man a once over. He looked rather out of place in Remus’ shop in heavy black boots, ripped jeans, and a black leather jacket as well as what looked like grease stains on his fingers.

    “Well,” Remus began a bit uncertainly, “I do have a new class aimed at beginners but it’s a ‘pick-your-own-project’ kind of class so we’ll be applying the basics to different items.” He reached over to his desk and pulled out a flyer to hand to him.

    “What do you plan on making?” he finally asked.

    The dark stranger looked down at his shoes and sighed. Then he looked Remus in the eye and said, “Baby booties.”

    Remus was a bit taken aback, as that was the last thing he expected to hear, but he softened when he saw the small smile playing on the man’s face. He walked over to his display of baby yarn – soft stuff that held up against wear and tear and spills – and started pulling out skeins of various colors.

    “Color preference? If you don’t know the baby’s gender yet you could go with something neutral or…”

    “Red,” the man interrupted. Then he grinned. “Gryffindor red.”

    Remus smiled back at him, “Of course.”

He put away the yellows, greens, blues, and pinks he had removed and found a skein of bright crimson yarn. He gestured for the man to follow him to a bookcase filled with folders and what appeared to be photo albums and urged him to sit at the scrubbed wooden table. He returned with a single ring-binder and flipped through it until he found what he was looking for.

    “Here we go,” he said. “This is the pattern I generally recommend for beginners. It’s got a classic design but it features great things to get you started on basic stitches, casting on, stockinette, basic increases and decreases as well as yarn overs; plus it’s got optional charms written in that keep them warm or cool and can even keep them on little feet when they kick…” He trailed off at the look on the man’s face.

    “It’s really not that difficult,” he said gently. “The class starts with the basics and I promise that by the end of the first class you’ll feel confident enough to start working on your project on your own.”

    The man looked up and smirked as if accepting an unspoken challenge. “I don’t doubt it,” he said. “When do we start?”

    “Let’s get you some needles and I’ll put you down for the class,” Remus said and got behind the till. “Buying materials here gives you a discount on the cost of the class, and you’re also welcome to come in anytime for help.” Remus busied himself with bagging up the yarn, pattern, and needles before giving his customer his change.

    “So yarn, needles, pattern, and class all come out to 11 sickles exactly,” he said. “The class starts at noon tomorrow and I’ll need your name to hold your place.”

“I’m Sirius. Sirius Black,” he extended his hand.

    “Remus Lupin,” Remus returned, shaking his hand firmly. “See you tomorrow.”

    “Tomorrow,” Sirius answered, and with the jingling of the bell above the door, he was gone.

 

    Sirius grinned to himself as he swung his new bag of knitting supplies and walked down the street.  He thought back to the morning, breakfast with James and Lily, and their announcement…

 

_Sirius stepped through the floo into the sunny kitchen in Godric’s Hollow.  Breakfast with the Potters was a Saturday morning tradition but Sirius could tell something was… different this particular morning.  Lily was seated at the kitchen table with a mug of tea clutched in her hands and while she smiled when she saw him, there was a strain in her green eyes._

_Sirius kissed her cheek and said, “What is it?”_

_Lily was prevented from replying by the appearance of her husband. “Padfoot! Glad you could make it!” James Potter clapped his dearest friend on the shoulder and shifted anxiously from foot to foot. His dark hair was messier than ever and his glasses sat crookedly on his face._

_“It’s Saturday, Prongs. I’m always here on Saturday. Now what the hell is going on with you two?” Sirius said._

_“Well…” Lily began. She looked at James. Their eyes met and they both looked at Sirius. “James has something to tell you,” she finished._

_James shot her a look of mild betrayal and took a deep breath. “Well, Sirius, the thing is, erm, well… Um, you see…”_

_“Spit it out already!” Sirius insisted, anxious at his friend’s hesitation._

_“Lily’s pregnant,” James said. With the words finally uttered, he cast an adoring smile at the redhead at the table and looked expectantly at his friend._

_“Really?” Sirius asked, looking between them in shock. “You’re – a baby? A real baby?”_

_“No, Sirius,” Lily snorted, “a fake baby has taken up residence in my uterus. Of course it’s a real baby!” she smacked his arm for emphasis. “I’m only about a month or so along so you’ve got plenty of time to get used to the idea.”_

_“A baby,” he whispered again. “Jamie, a baby!” the words finally began to sink in and he threw his arm around his friend and whooped. “A baby! We’re having a baby!” he shouted._

_“Um, excuse me? I believe_ I _will be the one doing the_ having _in a few months,” Lily grumbled._

_Sirius swooped down and kissed her cheeks again. “Merlin, Lils, do you need anything? You should put your feet up. Are you hungry?” he bustled around the kitchen where breakfast was already made and piled a plate high with everything he saw and set it before her._

_“Sirius, I’m fine. I’m only a few weeks gone and you know I don’t eat kippers so get them off my plate.”_

_“That’s not all, either, mate,” James started once he’d prepared his own plate. “We um, well, that is to say, erm… I wanted – and Lily agreed! – but I’d hoped, well… Would you be godfather?”_

_“Me?” Sirius was stunned. First a baby, now they wanted him to be the godfather?_

_“Of course, you git. You’re my best mate – my brother. I can’t think of anyone who would love the little ankle-biter more or spoil him – ”_

_“– or her!” Lily said around a mouthful of bacon._

_“Or her,” James conceded. “Who would take better care of my kid than my own brother? Please say yes.”_

_“I... Yes. Yes! Of course! Yes! Wow, godfather!” Sirius was beside himself. Godfather. A baby. James and Lily and a baby._

_Breakfast was finished while they discussed potential baby names. Sirius’ contribution was Elvendork._

_“It’s gender neutral!” he insisted._

_As he left the Potters’, his mind turned to how exactly he would spoil his future godchild. He went to Diagon Alley and his first thought was to buy a toy broom – any child of James’s would be a natural flyer – but as soon as he purchased it he knew Lily would have a conniption if he gifted it to a newborn. He needed another idea and wanted it to be perfect._

_Turning down a less-frequented corner of Diagon, he passed some of the newer shops that had opened more recently. He stopped a few doors down when he saw a funny little sign that caught his eye._

 

_The Black Sheep_

_Fine Yarns for the Magical Minded_

 

 

_Sirius smirked. The Black Sheep? He had referred to himself as such ever since he had been disowned by his family in his teens. He’d been taken in by James’ parents but there was still a great deal of bad blood between Sirius and most of his family. He looked in the window at the displays and his eyes lit on a tiny pair of knitted shoes next to a picture of a rather ugly infant._ Baby booties _, he thought._ That’s it! I’ll knit for the sprog! _He walked into the shop and was instantly overwhelmed by the yarns and the colors and felt rather out of his depth._

_There was a voice from the rear of the shop which called, “I’ll be with you in just a moment,” before a tall man stepped forward. Sirius had to consciously prevent his jaw from dropping. Tall, lanky, with wavy brown hair and cheerful brown eyes, the man was not what Sirius had expected. He’d imagined an old woman in a floral dress wearing a ridiculous hat, perhaps. Not – oh dear Merlin, what kind of jumper was that? Corduroy trousers and a blue jumper with white sheep on it save one in black. The Black Sheep. Of course. What a wonderfully ridiculous jumper._

 

    The next morning Sirius was running down Diagon Alley to get to The Black Sheep just as the clock near Gringott’s was distantly striking twelve. He hated to be late but he’d overslept and almost forgotten about the class when he finally woke. He slowed down as he approached the yarn shop and vainly tried to straighten his hair before he walked in.

    His arrival was met with silence by the abundance of women crowded around the shop’s work table. He put on his most charming smile and found himself a seat and they all began murmuring to one another again.

    “Sorry I’m late,” he said with an easy grin around the table.  Remus stood from where he’d been sitting at his desk talking with a customer.

    “Glad you could make it,” he said. He stood at the head of the table and after introducing himself he dove right into teaching.

    “Okay, so I see you’ve all got your projects.  This is the first class so today we’re just going to focus on the basics: casting on and the basic knit stitch. So please pull out your patterns and your materials and find where it begins and it should tell you how many to cast on. I’ll go around the table and make sure everyone is holding their yarn in a workable way and then explain the cast-on method we’ll be using.”

    Sirius went into his bag and pulled out his red yarn and impossibly small needles. They hadn’t looked that small when he’d purchased them the day before but now they looked positively tiny. He saw the women around him easily finding the ends of their yarn and he looked at the skein of yarn in front of him. It wasn’t in a ball, but rather it was shaped almost like a cylinder. There was a loose end sticking out from beneath the paper wrapper but when he gave it a tug it snagged on the label.

    “You should really try to pull the end from the inside,” a soft voice said next to him. Sirius looked up and saw friendly brown eyes and blonde hair smiling at him, gesturing at the yarn. “I’m Alice, by the way,” she said. She showed him how to feel inside the skein to find the end and after resisting the urge to say something crude and inappropriate he successfully pulled out the end – along with what seemed like half of the entire skein.

    “Oh, bad luck, that,” Alice laughed. “Happens to the best of us, though – yarn vomit, we call it.”

    Sirius scowled and fished the end out of the mess. Alice showed him how to make a slip knot while Remus worked his way around the table correcting the way people were holding their yarn and needles.  Sirius had to adjust his hands around the small needles to achieve the grip Remus demonstrated. The yarn seemed impossibly small in his hands and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to do this after all.

    Remus stood at the head of the table once more and showed the group how to cast on. Sirius referred to his pattern and replicated the stitch 17 times. When he looked at what he had done, the loops on the needles were large and uneven but there were 17 of them and he was pleased. He glanced around the table and caught several sets of eyes staring at him. He smiled at the women around him, and knew that a man in a knitting class was an oddity. He knew how to be charming, though, and usually he liked the attention.

    After Remus had got the class through casting on he explained how to perform a basic knit stitch. Sirius liked that it was very similar to the cast on stitches he had already done, but he had a hard time getting the stitches off of his needles. He persisted but the “yarn vomit” as Alice had called it was still a mess on the table beside him and his fingers felt too big for the tiny needles and slender yarn and it was getting harder and harder to pull the stitches off after he knit them! He huffed a bit in frustration until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

    “Let me,” Remus said, and took the knitting from him to inspect it more closely. “Ah,” he said. “You're holding the yarn too tightly. Your tension is too tight so your stitches are actually coming out too small. You either need to loosen your grip or go up a few needle sizes.”

    Sirius looked down at the mess of yarn in his lap. “I’m not sure I’m holding the string right,” he said. “I feel like it’s going to fall out of my hand if I don’t pull it tight enough but then I can’t get the loops off the needle.”

    “Here,” said Remus. He placed the knitting in Sirius’ hands and leaned over him to place his hands on top of them. He worked Sirius’ hands in the appropriate motions and the yarn flowed through his fingers much smoother and his stitches came out looking less mangled and more even. Sirius watched in awe as the yarn slipped through Remus’ fingers and his own with grace and speed he could not accomplish on his own. After a few moments the feeling of Remus’ hands on his made his face flush a bit and Remus smiled.

    “Think you’ve got it?” he asked, stepping away.

    “Yeah,” Sirius said. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll, erm, I’ll keep working on it.”

    “Make sure you refer to your pattern and don’t just keep knitting for miles or you’ll have to tink it out.”

    “Tink?” one of the girls a few seats away asked.

    “Tink,” Remus repeated. “T-I-N-K – it’s ‘knit’ spelt backwards. So tinking is knitting backwards or un-knitting.” He moved through the people around the table, adjusting their grip or tension and making sure they understood the mechanics of the stitch they were working on.

    The rest of the class went relatively well and Remus was pleased to see the progress people were making, especially since they were all beginners – and a few (including Sirius) had never even picked up knitting needles before.

    “I think that’s it for this week. If you want to practice I recommend starting a swatch. You can cast on about 25 and then knit several rows if you get to a point in your pattern that involves stitches we haven’t covered yet. And of course you’re all welcome to drop by anytime throughout the week if you have questions or want a little more help.” Remus smiled at the group as they began to pack up their things until his eyes fell on Sirius again.

    The man had struggled through the class and looked incredibly frustrated. His movements were clumsy and Remus remembered keenly how he’d felt the first time his gran had placed yarn in his hands and tried to show him how to turn it into something beautiful.  Remus walked over as the other students trickled out and took the seat next to him.

    “I hope you’ll stick with this and come back next week,” he said as Sirius struggled to untangle the yarn from his fingers.

    “I didn’t think it would be this hard,” Sirius answered. “You don’t have any trouble at all.”

    “Yes, well, I’ve been knitting a long time. I was terrible when I first started, too, you know.”

    “It’s just…” Sirius ran a hand through his hair. “This is important, you know? I want it to be special.” He turned his grey eyes on Remus and hoped he didn’t sound like a whinging baby.

    Remus put a hand on Sirius’ and smiled. “It will be,” he said. “Just don’t quit. Besides,” he added, getting up, “I could use another bloke in here. Give the ladies someone else to fawn over for a change.”

    Sirius grinned and put away his things, but didn’t say that he had barely resisted fawning over the tall man himself. With a wave, he headed back into Diagon with plans to floo James as soon as he got home to tell him and Lily about the new bloke who may have taken his fancy.

 


	2. Stitch Fix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes, knitting lessons continue, they pine. We meet Dorcas and Sirius drops a stitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks again to [JMiller](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Jmiller/pseuds/Jmiller) and [Worthfull1](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Worthfull1/pseuds/Worthfull1) for the alpha reading and hand-holding. Eternal gratitude to [AccioMasterofDeath](http://acciomasterofdeath.tumblr.com/) for being a phenomenal beta and all around sweetheart.

Remus sighed as Sirius left his shop.  He was confused by his sudden and inexplicable attraction to the dark-haired man. He reconsidered a moment and admitted that perhaps it wasn’t  _ so _ inexplicable.  The man was attractive – almost obscenely so – but there was a certain energy to him the Remus couldn’t deny.  He ran a hand over his face and through his hair.  The last thing he needed this close to his anticipated holiday rush was an inconvenient crush.  Especially a crush on a  _ customer _ .  _ Get it together, Lupin _ , he thought viciously. 

He sat down in the chair near the front door, not expecting much traffic so soon after lunch on a Sunday. He pulled out his latest project, a child-sized sweater with a dragon on it, enchanted to fly across the front once the knitting was complete. He focused on the body, soothed by the rhythmic clicking of the needles as he allowed himself to contemplate one Sirius Black.

Sirius was beautiful, yes, and charismatic to be sure. But was he even interested in Remus? He certainly had a way with the ladies in the class, but he could be the type who was a natural charmer. Remus was almost certain of that; he’d seen plenty of that type before and wasn’t quite sure what to make of the persona Sirius presented. For it was clearly a persona – the vulnerability he’d seen beneath the frustration at the end of the class made that perfectly clear.

Still.  Someone with looks like that could hardly be expected to be interested in someone like Remus. Remus knew he was attractive, but not conventionally so. He was tall, yes, and more used to being called “cute” than “gorgeous.” And Sirius Black definitely qualified as  _ gorgeous _ . Remus blushed as he thought back to his first impression of the man. Broad shoulders, slim hips, grey eyes, and hair that begged to have fingers run through it. 

The bell above the front door jingled Remus out of his daydream.  He looked up and smiled.

“Hullo, Dorcas, how are you?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she answered.  She looked at him questioningly before a smirk slid across her features. “I think the better question is how are  _you_?” She plonked herself in a chair and turned to face him. 

“I’m fine. Had a beginner’s class this morning.  Tea?” He got up to head back to the kettle.

“Reeeeeemus,” she wheedled.  “You’ve got cute-boy face. You know I can’t resist being nosy when you’ve got cute-boy face.”

“Dorcas…” he started.

“No, no. I will not let you self-sabotage once again.  Tell me his name and what he was doing in the shop.  Tell me this instant.”

So he did. He told her about meeting Sirius the previous day, told her about the class that morning, told her how good looking he was.  Two cups of tea later, Dorcas was leaning close to him smiling broadly.

“Sirius Black,” she mused.  “I know him from Hogwarts. Best friends with James Potter – troublemakers the pair of them. Not sure what he’s doing these days but it’s no surprise Potter named him godfather. Most of us were still surprised he got Lily Evans to go out with him, let alone marry him!” Dorcas laughed a little and proceeded to tell Remus some of Black and Potter’s more exciting exploits from their Hogwarts days. 

“Honestly, Remus, you could do a lot worse than him.”

“Dorcas, is he even gay?”

“Hmmm,” she considered.  “He never really went steady with anyone in school, if that’s what you’re asking. There were rumors, of course, that he went after girls and some of the boys but no one ever caught him in the Astronomy Tower with anyone.”

Remus looked skeptical. “I’m hardly going to put myself out there for – ”

“Look, the worst that can happen is he tells you he’s straight. Why can’t you ask him?” Dorcas pouted a bit.

“He’s a customer, Dorcas. It would be horribly unprofessional and honestly I need all the business I can get to keep the shop going after the holidays,” Remus sighed. The shop was doing well but he knew how the business ebbed and flowed like a tide and he didn’t want to lose it, not so soon after his gran had passed. He couldn’t disappoint her.

“All I’m saying is feel out the situation and see if there’s some shared interest,” she said. “You might be surprised.” She stood and started towards the door. “I’ve got to get back to the pub but, just think about it, alright?”

Remus nodded. “I will.”

“Good. Stop by for a pint sometime, I miss seeing your pretty face.”

“Good _ bye _ , Dorcas,” Remus said, shooing her out the door. He smiled at her when she turned back to wave and then went back to his chair and his knitting.

He had a great deal to think about, and it all revolved around Sirius Black.

 

The week passed quickly for Sirius. He was consumed with all things baby, especially his knitting. He’d very quickly reached a point in his pattern where he could not continue without further instruction so he’d begun a swatch as suggested. He felt he had thoroughly mastered the knit stitch and his swatch was quite long. When he wasn’t knitting he was making plans with James. Sketches for an elaborate treehouse were kept hidden from Lily, who was already suspicious of the broom-shaped parcel she’d seen Sirius stowing under his bed.

The week passed quickly for Remus as well. As hoped for, the shop became quite busy with holiday shoppers.  He was even inspired to put together a few kits complete with yarn, needles, notions, and patterns for people who weren’t sure what to buy their favorite knitters but wanted a complete gift. Between his customers and his relief that the shop was doing well he had little time to think about Sirius, but as Sunday approached he was no closer to figuring out how he would go about testing the waters with him.

Sunday dawned cold and rainy and Remus was nervous. He kept checking the time, anxiously waiting for the morning to pass. He kept making cups of tea and then forgetting about them, then making another only to forget that one as well. He puttered around the shop adjusting holiday displays until the first few students wandered in and he could check their progress on their respective projects.

Sirius walked in – early this time – and Remus was once again struck by how attractive he was. His hair was twisted up into a bun and he grinned at Remus before sitting next to Alice and striking up a conversation while he pulled out his knitting. Remus smiled back and continued chatting with the women sitting nearest him as he waited for the rest of the class to arrive.

“All right,” he began. “It looks like everyone’s made decent progress since last week, so let’s learn a few new stitches. Then I’ll take a look at your patterns and see if there are any other particular stitches you need to learn so you can continue working.”

Remus started explaining purling – how it was almost an upside-down knit stitch – and Sirius practiced it on his swatch so as not to mess up the pattern of the baby booties. Remus went around the table correcting mistakes and checking tensions, as well as looking at the stitches they were going to be using next in their projects. When he got to Sirius he paused, still unsure of what he planned to do. 

Sirius held up his swatch to show his progress. “What do you think? Not bad, eh?”

Remus watched him make a few stitches and hummed in approval. Then he glanced at Sirius’ pattern. “We’ll talk about basic increases once I’ve finished going around the table. A few other people need to know those as well.” He began to move on to the next person and thought he saw a flash of disappointment in Sirius’ eyes, but he couldn’t quite tell.

He returned to the head of the table and started explaining how to make basic increases. Most students practiced on their swatch but he saw Sirius fumbling with the bootie he was working on.  _ Now’s your chance, Lupin, _ he thought. _ Go on, go give him a hand! _ Just as he was about to move, though, he saw the girl next to him – Alice, he thought her name was – reaching out to manipulate Sirius’ needles correctly. He smiled at her gratefully and Remus remained where he was. 

After going around the table a few times more – carefully watching Sirius – Remus deemed the class well enough on their way to proficiency to end for the day. Sirius seemed to enjoy talking with Alice a great deal, and was even shamelessly flirting with the older women in the class who dotingly called him “a treasure.” He was hardly looking at Remus, though, so Remus decided to wait another week to see how Sirius felt. 

 

The next class passed in much the same way.  Remus reviewed their progress from the previous week, and taught them basic decreases as well as yarn overs to allow them to go on to the next stage in their projects.  His eyes constantly drifted to Sirius, wondering how to even begin to broach the subject of his growing affection.   But other than catching Sirius’ eye from time to time - and never being sure of what he saw there - Remus kept his distance and his silence.

 

Remus was about to give up on the whole thing. The class had ended for a two week break for Christmas and the New Year and he still hadn’t gotten up the nerve to talk to Sirius. 

He was getting ready to close after the first day he was open after Boxing Day when he saw a familiar leather jacket running towards his shop. Sirius threw the door open and looked about to burst into tears when he thrust a bit of knitting under Remus’ nose.

“Thank Merlin you’re still here!”

“Sirius, what – ”

“You have to fix it! Please tell me you can fix it.”

“Wha – ”

“I dropped a stitch!” Sirius was beginning to panic and pressed the half-knit baby bootie into Remus’ hands.  Remus took it carefully and sat at the work table, Sirius anxiously hovering near his shoulder.

“Can you fix it?”

“Just – just give me a moment, Sirius. I have to find it, first.” He looked carefully at the rows of knitting until he found the telltale ladder of a stitch that had been dropped from the needles. He reached into a basket on the table for a small crochet hook to fish it out and began the slow process of working the stitch back up the rows it had fallen through.

“Here, let me show you how to do this, just in case it happens again,” he said, and gestured for Sirius to come closer.  He almost regretted the suggestion because suddenly the man was leaning over his shoulder and his long hair was tickling Remus’ neck. He managed to keep a straight face as he walked Sirius through fixing the final rows the stitch had slipped through. Finally, he picked up his wand from the table and whispered, “ _ Praetexo _ ,” over the chain of fixed stitches.

“There.” He held up the knitting and there was no sign that anything had ever been amiss.  The stitches were still a bit uneven, but that was to be expected in a first project. Sirius beamed at him.

“My hero,” he said, and carefully tucked the knitting back into his bag. 

“You should probably take this, as well,” Remus handed him the small crochet hook. “No, no,” he said when Sirius tried to pay him. “Honestly, I’ve dozens of them.”

“Well, thanks,” Sirius said.  “Shit,” he muttered, glancing at the clock on the wall. “You were closing, weren’t you? And here I barged in and took over your evening. I’m so sorry, I’ll go.”

“It’s no trouble,” Remus said. “Honestly, I said you were welcome to come in for help and I meant it.  I – I’m glad you did.”

“Still,” Sirius began.

“Actually,” Remus interrupted him, feeling bold. “I was headed over to the Leaky for a pint. A friend of mine works there and has been pestering me to stop by but I’m not really one for drinking alone. Care to join me?” There, he’d said it. It was done and he couldn’t take it back.

Sirius considered a moment before a slow smile – almost a smirk – came across his face. “Sure,” he said. “Why not?”

 

After Remus locked up his shop, he walked with Sirius down the familiar path to the Leaky Cauldron. Due to the recent holiday there weren’t many customers in, and Remus led the way to a booth at the back of the pub to avoid the leering glances Dorcas was sending him from her place behind the bar next to Tom. They ordered pints and after a few moments of silence, Sirius spoke.

“So, I’m assuming you’re about my age, but I have to know – what’s a bloke so young doing running a yarn shop?”

Remus’ mouth quirked into a small smile. “My gran left it to me when she passed last year. Gives me a job and a place to sleep and I don’t have to worry about being late for work or having a demanding boss,” he explained.

Sirius nodded. “So have you always been into knitting or…?”

“Since I was about 8, I suppose. My mum taught me one winter when I was sick.  Gave me something to do to keep my hands busy…” he trailed off, unsure of how much to share. “When she died I gave it up for a long while. Couldn’t bear to pick up needles and wool and think that she never would again.

“Then I went to live with my gran and she was always knitting. I picked it up, too, after a while because I helped her in the shop after I finished school and it’s hard to work in a yarn shop if you don’t work with the yarn.

“What about you, though?” he asked, looking at Sirius over the rim of his glass. “You said you’re knitting for a baby? Yours? You never said.” Remus hoped his question wasn’t too nosy but he’d been worried that Sirius had a wife or girlfriend at home waiting for him.

“Merlin, no!” Sirius spluttered. “No, no, my best mate and his wife. They… They want me to be godfather.”

“So your first instinct was to take up knitting?” 

“Well, my first instinct was to buy him a racing broom but his mum’ll kill me if I gift it before the babe can walk so…”

Remus laughed. “Did you really?”

“Oh, yeah, but it’s hidden away for now. The knitting… I like the idea of making something, something the baby can have the very first day. And you had that picture of the baby in your window and my head was full of this kid with James’ hair and Lily’s eyes and – that really is an ugly baby in that picture, by the way,” he added before continuing, “and so I thought why not? I didn’t expect to start panicking over a damn stitch falling off the needles before I was done with it, though.” He looked at Remus with an apology in his eyes.

“I told you already, I don’t mind helping. You’re not the first one to run to me in a tizzy over a dropped stitch and I doubt you’ll be the last,” Remus told him.

An awkward silence fell over the table and Remus looked down into his glass. Sirius started drawing designs on the table in the puddle of condensation beneath his glass and Remus worried that the night was ending and that he’d blown his chance.

“Alright, lads?” came a voice. Dorcas. She grinned at the pair of them before fixing her gaze on Remus. “Need another round?” She gave Remus a look of encouragement before Sirius spoke.

“Dorcas? I didn’t know you were working here! Or that you knew Remus,” he said, looking between them.

“Oh, yeah. Tom needed the help and I like the work. You know me, always like talking to new people.  Remus and I grew up together, isn’t that right, Re?” Dorcas nudged his arm and he cleared his throat.

“Yes, Dorcas lived right down the road from my parents’ so…” he trailed off.

Dorcas fixed Remus with one more piercing gaze and said, “I’ll be right back with those pints, then.”

Remus sighed and Sirius looked at him curiously. “She the jealous type?” he asked.

“What? Dorcas? No, no,” Remus spluttered and turned bright red. “We’re not – that is, she and I… No,” he said, shaking his head emphatically. Just then Dorcas reappeared with their drinks and set them on the table.   
“There you are then,” she said, and winked at Remus as she turned to head back to the bar.

Sirius continued looking between her retreating back and Remus as he sipped his drink. “Does she know that?” he asked.

“Oh, yes,” Remus said. Then he mumbled, “She’s the one who told me I preferred blokes to birds in the first place.”

Sirius’ eyes widened. “Ah,” he said. “Failed experimentation phase, was it?” he said with a smirk.

Remus laughed a bit. “Something like that,” he agreed. He looked at Sirius for a moment and asked a bit shyly, “What about you?”

Sirius considered for a moment and said, “Erm, I’m not sure I prefer one over the other at this point. I mean, I’ve dated both, I like both. For me it’s more of who the person is rather than anything else. Dunno what you’d call that.”

Remus was surprised but smiled a bit. “Oh, erm… Oh,” he said. He stared down at the table and then chanced a look at Sirius, who was looking at him with a mixture of hope and apprehension on his face. Remus felt himself flush and another awkward silence descended on the table. 

“So… You knew Dorcas at Hogwarts?” Remus asked in a desperate attempt to get their conversation going again.

“Yes, she was in my year,” he said. Then he narrowed his eyes and asked, “But you didn’t go to Hogwarts, did you?”

“Ah, no,” Remus said. “I was ill a lot as a child and my mum thought it best if I didn’t go to school with other children, so I was homeschooled. My dad taught my practicals when he wasn’t working and I had a few tutors. I did a lot of reading.”

“Sounds a bit lonely,” Sirius said. “Not that learning at home is a bad thing! It’s just, I met my best friends in the world at school, and I don’t know where I’d be without them.”

“Dorcas was always full of stories when she came home for the hols,” Remus said. “It was a bit lonely, but I guess when you don’t know any different it’s hard to miss what you never had.”

“Hmmm, I guess,” Sirius replied. “Although, if you did a lot of reading, you probably learned more than I did. My mates and I spent most of our time getting into trouble.”

“Dorcas told me some of it.”

Sirius laughed at that, “Yeah, we pulled a lot of pranks and made quite a name for ourselves. ‘The Marauders’ we called ourselves.”

“You named yourselves?” Remus asked, laughing.

“We were twelve and terribly clever,” Sirius smiled. “The more elaborate the prank, the better. Of course, now we’re all grown up. James is having a baby and Peter’s doing research for Zonko’s, and I’m learning to knit.”

Remus chuckled and took another pull from his drink. He glanced towards the bar, where Dorcas continued giving him significant looks. Sirius followed his gaze and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He looked at Remus, very clearly evaluating him and Remus felt a flush rising in his cheeks as he tried very hard not to make eye contact. He heard Sirius chuckle quietly and was forced to look up and see mirth and - was that desire? - gleaming in his silver eyes.

Sirius reached across the table and took Remus’ hand in his.  

“Um…” Remus looked at their hands. “I…” he didn’t know what to say. This was what he wanted but he wasn’t sure how to proceed. His brain went suspiciously vacant as Sirius started running his thumb over Remus’ fingers, gently but purposefully.  Then, those empty thoughts suddenly turned into a thunderstorm when Sirius’ thumb ventured towards his wrist, where the sleeve of his jumper had pushed up and several raised scars on his forearm were plainly visible. Remus felt Sirius staring curiously and jerked his hand back, pushing his sleeve down.

Sirius pulled back. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t - I thought –”

“No! I mean, yes, but…” Remus was panicking. This wasn’t how the night was supposed to go at all. “I – I have to go,” and Remus fled the pub, leaving a stunned Sirius behind him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading. I'm on tumblr as [WritingWillow](http://writingwillow.tumblr.com/)
> 
> _Praetexo_ = Latin, "to knit, to weave"


	3. New Year's Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanations, more knitting, a plan, and New Year's Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to [Jmiller](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Jmiller) and [Worthfull1](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Worthfull1/pseuds/Worthfull1) for being phenomenal alpha readers and hand holders. Sincerest gratitude to the amazing [AccioMasterofDeath](http://acciomasterofdeath.tumblr.com/) for the beta and fine-toothed combing. Y'all are rockstars and I am forever grateful.

 

“Jamie, I dunno what happened! He was sending me all the signals and I was so sure he was interested but then he just bolted! What went wrong?”

Sirius was sitting at the Potters’ kitchen table holding a cup of tea in one hand while running the other through his tangled black hair.

“Do you think it’s because I said I was bi? I mean, I didn’t name it but I said I didn’t really prefer one over the other… Was reaching for his hand too much? I thought I was being cute and making it an obvious come-on but maybe he’s not interested? He seemed interested, though!”

“Padfoot, relax. No one who is even remotely gay would _not_ be interested. You’re overreacting.” James put some toast on a plate and set it aside before reaching for a glass of pumpkin juice. “Did you ask Dorcas what was up? She’s close to him, isn’t she?”

“She didn’t give me much to go on, just the usual ‘It’s not you, Black, he’s probably just a little overwhelmed,’ and something about me being a customer and not to take it personally. The usual platitudes,” Sirius huffed.

“Platitudes? Now there’s a 50 point word in Scrabble, double letter score and everything.”

“Shut up, Prongs.”

“I second that,” mumbled Lily, who had been in the toilet vomiting and padded into the kitchen for a glass of water. “Ugh, morning sickness? It’s more like morning-noon-and-night sickness. Next time, Potter, you get to be the pregnant one.” She eyed the plate of toast warily but took a tentative bite and sat at the table.

“Love of my life, if it were possible, I would actually consider it,” James said while Sirius chuckled behind him. Lily swatted his arm and continued nibbling her toast.

“I’d tell the sprog to be nicer to you, but I don’t think he’s got ears yet,” Sirius said.

“Har, har, very funny. Just you wait – I’m putting all the night time nappy changes on you when it gets here.” Sirius paled a little but she continued, “Now, stop being such an idiot because I’ve got a plan to help you get your man.”

 

Meanwhile at The Black Sheep, a similar conversation was taking place. Remus was pacing in the back of his shop, tangling his hands in his hair and fussing with the hem of his jumper while Dorcas watched from an overstuffed armchair.

“Dorcas, it was a disaster. I just froze, and then I panicked and just left him there! What if he never wants to see me again?”

“Remus, relax. I don’t think you’ve completely lost your chance. If anything he’s worried about you after you ran off like that,” Dorcas said soothingly.

Remus’ head snapped up. “You talked to him? Oh Merlin, Dorcas, please tell me you didn’t say anything embarrassing.

    “Yes, Remus, I showed him our baby pictures from when we shared a paddling pool – you were such an adorable child, bum out and everything,” Dorcas said.

    “I was a runt,” Remus grumbled before flopping into a chair across from her, covering his face with his hands.

    “He and I didn’t really talk. I just told him not to take it personally, that you aren’t sure how to do this kind of thing with a customer, and that he shouldn’t write you off entirely.”

    “Amazingly that doesn’t make me feel better,” Remus mumbled.

    “Look, I have to get back to the pub, but please don’t worry. Something will work out, I promise.”

    It was a Saturday, but Remus wasn’t expecting many customers since it was still only a few days after Christmas.  He had planned on taking advantage of the quiet lull to go through a recent shipment of yarns he intended to put out after the New Year.  He made a fresh cup of tea and started sorting through boxes that had arrived earlier in the week.

    The first box was a pleasant surprise – Stay Warm Wool, charmed to keep whatever was knitted with it at an ideal temperature. From the weight of the yarn it appeared to be ideal for making hats. Another box with a brand new line of yarns called Tangled Purls, which was charmed to never get tangled. Remus smiled a bit as he recalled Sirius struggling with his yarn getting tangled around his fingers at the first class weeks before, then shook his head and went back to sorting through his new inventory.  There were yarns specifically for children, spelled to resist stains; sock yarn enchanted to prevent holes in the toes and heels; yarns that changed colors based on the wearer’s mood; delicate lace yarn so light it threatened to float away and more.

    He’d also received a new catalog of patterns, with spells meant to be woven into the stitches so that mittens always reappeared as a pair if lost, and shawls would stay on one’s shoulders even on a breezy day. Remus flipped through and started making a mental list of how he wanted to present these new patterns to his customers, and hoped they would be successful. He remembered fondly a sweater his gran had made him when he was a boy. She had used yarn enchanted to stay soft no matter how many times it was washed, and he had worn it until it no longer fit over his head.

    The day passed quickly as he organized his new yarns and patterns and soon he was locking up to leave.  

 

    The next morning Remus wandered into the shop expecting another slow day. It was Sunday but there was no formal knit class scheduled. He had told the class that he would be open and that they were welcome to sit in and knit and he would be happy to assist, but that due to the holiday he would not be doing any official instruction.  He didn’t anticipate many people would take him up on his offer but he was happy to be in the shop anyway.

    He was pleasantly surprised when a few of the older women from his class showed up and he was content to let them chat amongst themselves while they worked on their projects until they required assistance. He was speechless when, a short while later, he saw a familiar head of black hair poke into the shop with a sheepish smile and settle at the work table. Sirius was almost finished with the first bootie, working away at the ribbing for the cuff and looking much more comfortable with the needles than he had before.

    Sirius caught Remus’ eye with a question on his face and Remus approached the table. “Need some help?” he asked.

    “I think I’m done, but I don’t know how to finish,” Sirius replied. “It says ‘bind off in pattern, loosely,’ but I have no idea what that means.”

    “Oh, let me show you. You knit the first two stitches, and then move the first one over the second and let it off the needle,” Remus said, demonstrating.

    Sirius looked incredibly confused. “But won’t it unravel?”

    “No, no, the loops close on themselves. Watch again,” and Remus performed the bind off on the next stitches, watching carefully when Sirius made his attempt. He seemed to catch on quickly, though, and soon enough Remus was congratulating him on his first completed item. “Now you just need to stitch it up, weave in the ends, and make the second one!” he said as he showed off the mostly-finished bootie to the ladies around the table.

    Sirius’ face fell. “I forgot I had to make another one,” he said.

    Remus chuckled, “Unless you expect the child to be born with only one foot, I would recommend it.”

    Sirius began stitching the bootie into the correct shape, carefully matching up the edges for a clean seam. He was carefully watching Remus as well, trying to gauge the other man’s reaction. He seemed friendly enough, but how much of that was professional courtesy and how much of it could be something more? It was hard to tell and the last thing he wanted was another disaster like their night at the pub.

    Eventually the other women began to gather up their things to go – it was about the time the knitting class normally ended and Sirius assumed he should begin packing up as well. He had finished sewing up the bootie and weaving in the ends – with some guidance from Remus – and had begun casting on for the second one. He stuffed the yarn and needles back into their bag and dithered by the table for a moment, uncertain.

    Remus was relieved when the women began to leave and grateful that Sirius didn’t appear to be in a hurry to join them. Once the door shut behind the last, Remus caught Sirius’ eye, hoping he would stay.

    “Sirius,” he began. He cleared his throat nervously. “I’m sorry, about the other night. I shouldn’t have run off on you like that. I can’t even explain it properly, I just… I’ve no idea how to do this and you’re a customer so I’m not really sure where the line of what’s appropriate and what isn’t is. But I am sorry,” he finished.

    Sirius slung his bag over his shoulder and walked up to the counter where Remus was standing. “I’m not mad,” he said. “I was a little worried, to be honest, and I understand about not being sure since I’m a customer, but… Remus, I like you.  You’re right fit and I actually wanted to ask you – if you don’t have plans, that is – well, James and Lily are having a do for New Year and I wondered, erm, if you’d like to come? You could bring Dorcas – the more the merrier, really – and I know lots of us from Hogwarts would like to see her as well.”

    Remus was surprised both by the admission – _Sirius fancied him?_ – and the invitation, but found himself nodding. “I – I’d like that,” he said. “You’re sure it won’t be an imposition?”

    “No, I already cleared it with the hosts and they’re absolutely on board. It’s no trouble at all,” Sirius insisted.

    “All right, if you’re sure.”

    “I am. They’re in Godric’s Hollow. Can I owl you the details? Will it reach you here?”

    “Yes, here’s fine.”

    “Great,” Sirius said, making for the door. “I’ll see you soon, then.”

    “See you soon then,” Remus half-whispered as the door shut behind him.

  


    “You are not wearing that to a New Year’s Eve party.”

    “Dorcas, we do not have time for this,” Remus growled impatiently.

“Remus, as your friend, I cannot in good conscience allow you to leave this flat dressed like that,” Dorcas replied, rifling through Remus’ closet – uninvited – searching for Merlin only knew what.

    Remus surveyed himself in the mirror in the corner. He was wearing a blue jumper and brown trousers. He had already given up on his hair as hopeless. Luckily, he had a collection of hand knit hats to choose from which wouldn’t be amiss as it was decidedly frigid outside. With his boots and winter coat and a scarf he would be plenty warm. His musing was cut short when he felt fingers attacking the hem of his jumper, pulling it up.

    “Dorcas!” he squawked as the jumper was pulled over his head.

    “Try this instead,” she said, thrusting a button-up shirt at him.

    Remus grimaced. The shirt was nice enough, but it was fitted and just a bit too snug on him so he rarely ever wore it. “Dorcas, it’s too tight.”

    She glanced at him and gave him a once-over. “In normal person speak, that means it’s perfect. Paired with your heavy winter coat you’ll look great.”

    He scowled a bit but did as he was told, grabbing a hat and a scarf as he made his way to the door. “Can we please go now?”

    “But your hair – ”

    “NO, Dorcas!”

  


    “Padfoot, for Merlin’s sake would you stop fiddling and relax?”

    “But what if he doesn’t come?” Sirius was pacing in the kitchen, away from the rest of the party. “What if he decided that this was a terrible idea and doesn’t come at all? What if that owl with the directions got lost or – ”

    “Pull yourself together, Pads, or I’m getting Lily to dose you with a Calming Draught.”

    “Who needs a Calming Draught?” Lily asked, breezing into the kitchen. Sidling up to James, she stage whispered, “Is he panicking?”

    “I am not panicking!” Sirius all but shrieked.

    “No offense, mate, but it seems an awful lot like you’re panicking,” James said. “Look, if he doesn’t come it’ll be disappointing but you’ll live. You’ve survived worse. Just, come join the party, have a drink, catch up with Marlene and Pete – you haven’t seen them in ages – and try to calm down, alright?” With that, he walked back out to the party.

    “He’s right, love,” Lily said.

    “Yeah, I know. I’ll be out, just give me a moment,” Sirius sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair as she left, then took a deep breath and went back to the party.

 

    Remus took a deep breath and surveyed the room. In the few minutes since they’d arrived, Dorcas had introduced him to almost a dozen old school friends, and he was having a hard time remembering any of their names. They were all perfectly friendly, but none of them were the man he wanted to see. He sipped at his drink and tried not to feel completely out of place. He saw a tall, dark skinned man with wild black hair exit what he assumed was the kitchen and was followed shortly after by a shorter redhead.

    Dorcas grabbed him by the arm when she saw them and dragged him across the room after her.

    “James!” she called.

    “Dorcas?” the tall man asked. “How are you? It’s been ages! I’m so glad you could make it,” he said, wrapping her in a warm hug.

    “Good, good, yes,” she said as she pulled away. She turned slightly and pulled Remus up alongside her so he could no longer hide in the background. “James, _this_ is Remus Lupin,” she said. “Sirius invited him. Remus, this is James Potter.”

    “Er, hi,” Remus said. “Thanks for letting me come.”

    “Any friend of Sirius is a friend of mine,” James said. “We’re glad you could make it. Lily’s around here somewhere – redhead, hard to miss – so make sure you say hello. She’s dying to meet you and I know she’ll want to catch up with you, Dorcas,” he added. “Let me know if you need anything else and enjoy the party.”

    Remus didn’t hear anything else James or Dorcas said. Sirius had just walked out of the kitchen and had locked eyes with Remus. He crossed the room quickly until they were face to face.

    “Hi,” Sirius breathed.

    “Hey there,” Remus replied.

    “You look great,” they said at the same time, then chuckled.

    “I’m glad you could make it,” Sirius said. “I was a bit worried the owl got lost or something.”

    “No, no, it arrived just fine, thanks.” Remus found his shoes to be particularly fascinating, and neither knew what to say for a few moments.

    “Have you met everyone?” Sirius asked.

    “Oh, yes. I think so. Dorcas introduced me around when we arrived. I don’t really remember everyone’s name and I don’t think I met Lily yet but…” Remus trailed off with a shrug.

“Oh!” Sirius said. “I forgot I wanted to show you something. Come with me.” He grabbed Remus’s hand and led him through the party, expertly weaving through groups of people until they slipped out the front door.

    “It’s a good thing you kept your hat on, it’s chilly out,” he said as they walked around the side of the house. “I like it, by the way. Did you make it?”

    “Um, yes. Last autumn,” Remus answered, following close behind Sirius, bemused.

    “It suits you.” He stopped in front of something draped in a sheet which he removed with a flourish. “What do you think?”

The bike was beautiful. All sleek black and chrome and just a bit menacing. Remus inhaled sharply and Sirius grinned.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” he asked. “It’s only a couple years old and I got it for a song. It was pretty beat up but I fixed her up alright.”

“Gorgeous,” Remus breathed. He’d never thought of a vehicle as sexy before but this was something else.

“If it wasn’t so cold - or New Year’s Eve - I’d take you for a spin,” Sirius said.

“Oh.” Remus tried not to let the disappointment show in his voice, and smiled at

Sirius across the bike. “Maybe some other time?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” Sirius nodded.

Remus shivered a bit and realized he wasn’t wearing his coat. He rubbed his arms through his jumper for a moment before Sirius motioned for them to go back inside.

“I wanted to show you something else anyway, come on,” he said, taking Remus’ hand again and leading him through the house.

Remus was a bit confused with Sirius’ obsession with hand holding but he went along with it because somehow, it felt right, comfortable. Sirius led him down a hallway past a couple of closed doors and threw open the door at the end of the hall.

“ _This_ is my room,” he said proudly, opening his arms widely to show the room. It wasn’t particularly tidy - but neither was Sirius himself - and there were quite a few posters on the walls, books in piles on various surfaces and various clothes spilling out of the wardrobe.

“Oh. I thought… James and Lily…” Remus began.

“I have my own flat, of course, but James wanted me to have my own room here, as well.  I lived with him and his parents after I left home and when they died after he and Lils got married, he wanted me to have a place with them. It’ll come in handy when the baby’s born – I want to be able to help out,” he explained. “But that’s not why I brought you up here.”

    He rummaged around in a bag by the bed while Remus hovered in the doorway.

    “Here you go,” Sirius said. It was the second baby bootie, about halfway completed.

    “Wow, Sirius this looks great,” Remus said. He was only slightly exaggerating. The stitches – while still slightly uneven – were straighter and more consistent than they were on the previous bootie, and the knitting appeared a great deal smoother in the foot.

    “Thanks,” he said, taking it back. “It’s a lot better than the first one. I’m thinking about ripping that one out and re-doing it, but I think I might save it and turn it into an ornament or something.  A memento of my first knitting project.”

    Remus smiled thoughtfully as he recalled the day Sirius first wandered into his shop. Sirius was remembering too and neither of them realized that they were staring at each other like lovesick fools until they were interrupted.  

    “Oi, you two! Been looking everywhere for you!” Dorcas stood in the hall looking into the room. “You can sneak back up for a snog later, it’s almost midnight and we’re getting ready for toasts and the countdown.” Remus flushed bright red as she disappeared back the way she came and Sirius shrugged and led the way back to the party.

 

    Glasses of champagne were being passed around the room, Remus was eventually introduced to Lily who smiled knowingly between him and Sirius, and eventually the crowd hushed as James made a toast to the new year.

    “Don’t get all soppy, Potter, especially not about that baby again,” someone joked after he’d rambled on for a while.

    “Alright, alright,” James continued. “To sum up, this has been a great year for us, and the next promises to be even better – babies notwithstanding,” he beamed down at Lily. “So here’s to all our friends – old and new – to our resolutions, and to a fantastic 1980.” He had timed it well and soon someone started a countdown. With only 30 seconds until midnight, Sirius tried to catch Remus’ eye but he had somehow wound up on the other side of the room with Dorcas whispering in his ear. Someone had grabbed hold of his arm – Peter or Marlene probably – but he couldn’t get away. Remus looked up at him with an apology in his eyes and before either of them could get any closer the room erupted into cheers of “HAPPY NEW YEAR,” with fireworks going off outside and champagne sloshing out of raised glasses.

    Sirius growled and all but pushed his way to Remus who was looking dejectedly at the floor. He had almost reached him when Peter fell into his arms. He was about to push him away or even drop him onto the floor when Peter sicked up all over him and the surrounding partiers.

    “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Merlin, Pete, are you okay?” Sirius asked, looking helplessly at Remus who shrugged and helped him move a barely conscious Peter towards the bathroom.

    “I’m so, so sorry about this, Remus,” he said as they half-dragged and half-carried Peter (who was mumbling about how much he loved them both) into the bathtub. He turned on the taps and Peter groaned. As they showered poor Peter to get the vomit off of his clothes they kept exchanging glances and catching each other’s eyes.

    “Don’t worry about it,” Remus murmured.

    “You guys are the best,” Peter slurred from the bathtub. After determining that he was coherent and no longer in danger of choking on his own sick, Sirius helped Peter strip off his clothes and magicked them into the laundry hamper in the corner of the bathroom. Looking down at his own clothes, he noticed that there was a bit of vomit on his shirt so he stripped that off and threw it in the hamper with everything else and continued rinsing off Peter until he noticed that Remus had gone silent and still.

    When he looked up, Remus was staring at his chest and two spots of color had darkened his cheeks and he was making a small ‘o’ shape with his mouth. Sirius blushed a bit and _accio_ ’d a clean shirt from his bedroom and Remus quickly looked away while he put it on. Dressed once again, Sirius turned off the shower and handed Peter a towel while Remus helped him out of the tub. Sirius fetched a few potions from the medicine cabinet and got Peter to a bed before he passed out.

    “I’m sorry about all that,” Sirius said again as he closed the door from the guest bedroom which was being converted to a nursery.

    “Oh, I don’t mind. I’ve had my share of nights when I’ve needed someone to take care of me like that so – ”

    He was interrupted by a very tipsy Dorcas who said James had invited them to spend the night. Remus chanced a look at Sirius who looked weary but smiled nonetheless. Beds were arranged: Dorcas would be sharing the couch with Marlene (James transfigured it to be large enough to accommodate them both) and Remus would be sleeping on a transfigured mattress on the floor in Sirius’ room.

    Spare pyjamas were secured, blankets were arranged, and finally, amidst the last few sputtering firework displays and cheers from tipsy neighbors, everyone settled in to sleep.

 

    Remus woke with aching joints and was confused until he recalled the events of the previous night. Quietly, so as not to wake Sirius who was still sleeping, face buried so deeply in his pillow he wondered how the man was breathing, Remus crept out of the room and down the stairs.

    He found Lily sitting at the kitchen table nursing a cup of tea – ginger, from the smell.    She smiled at him and motioned for him to join her.

    “Sleep alright?” she asked. “Would you like a cuppa?”

    “Yes, please. And I slept fine, thanks. How are you feeling?”

    “Not as hungover as some people will be, since I stuck to pumpkin juice last night,” she chuckled softly and waved her wand in the direction of the kettle, charming teacups and saucers out of the cupboard, pouring a cup and levitating it to Remus.

    Remus sipped his tea appreciatively while Lily observed him quietly. Her silent appraisal didn’t go unnoticed, but Remus didn’t comment. Then she said, “Is Sirius Black really knitting baby booties?”

    He burst out laughing before answering. “Yes, he really is. Is it so hard to believe? I know I don’t know him as well as you lot but he’s actually doing quite well for a beginner.”

    “The man spends most of his time trying to get that silly motorbike of his to fly so yes, it’s a bit hard to imagine him with knitting needles in his hands.”

    “Has he not shown you?” Remus asked.

    “Not a peek,” Lily said. “He’s put a hex on the bag he keeps it all in so James and I can’t even look when he’s in the shower or anything.”

    “Well,” said Remus, taken aback, “he did say he wanted it to be a surprise.”

    Lily stood and moved to the stove. “I was thinking waffles should drag everyone from their beds; want to help?” Remus nodded and joined her, whisking the batter together after she’d assembled the ingredients. They worked in companionable silence for several minutes before Lily spoke again.

    “I think you’re good for him.” She said it so simply like she was commenting on the weather and Remus was taken aback.

    “How do you mean?”

    “I was so worried when James and I told him about the baby,” she placed a hand on her abdomen. “Sirius… His life with his biological family wasn’t pretty and while things were a lot better when he moved in with James in sixth year, he still carried a lot of that with him even if he didn’t act like it. Then when James’ parents died… It was a very real loss for him, you know? And James wanted to make sure he always had a place with us and he became something of a child for us but now…” She put some waffles on a plate and smiled up at Remus. “Now, with the knitting – I knew he’d be delighted about being godfather but I feel so much better that he’s actually embracing it like this. And that’s in part because of you.

    “More than that,” she continued, “when he’s not talking about the baby, he’s talking about you. And Sirius talks a lot.”

    Remus’ reply was cut off by the appearance of a very rumpled James stumbling into the kitchen. He pushed his glasses up and ruffled the back of his hair before leaning over to peck Lily on the cheek.

    “Do I smell waffles?” he asked, brightening considerably. “Love of my life, sun to my moon, stars in my sky, I adore you.”

    “I thought _I_ was the love of your life and the stars in your sky, you traitor,” came the sleep-roughened voice of Sirius coming down the stairs. Before James could speak, Sirius blinked and smiled, noticing Remus. “Good morning, you,” he said softly.

    “Hi,” Remus answered, blushing a bit.

 

Further discussion was halted by the appearance of Dorcas and Marlene. Waffles were passed around and more tea was made and details of the party were rehashed as they had their breakfast.

“Someone had better go check on Pete,” James said after they had finished eating and the plates had been cleared.

“Yes, someone better had,” Lily said, with a pointed look at her husband, who took the hint and went off to check on their friend.

 

Lily, ever observant, noticed the looks Remus and Sirius were exchanging over their teacups. “Marls, Dorcas, did I show you what Bathilda* sent over for the baby? You have to see, it’s simply darling.” She led them up the stairs and Sirius smiled gratefully after her before hesitantly ambling over to Remus.

“So,” Sirius began, leaning in close –  

“Pete’s fine, just hungover and in desperate need of breakfast!” James boomed as he thundered down the stairs. Remus and Sirius sprang apart. James yelped as Lily grasped the back of his shirt and dragged him through the kitchen hissing, “Give them some peace, you idiot!” Marlene and Dorcas trailed behind them, and Dorcas gave Remus a lewd wink as she passed.

Remus and Sirius looked at each other and burst out laughing before moving into the living room.

    “You know,” Sirius said after they caught their breath, “my New Year’s Resolution is to take you on a date.”

    “Oh really?” Remus asked, sidling a little closer.

    “Mhm,” Sirius said. “I had actually been hoping for a New Year’s kiss but I imagine the gentlemanly thing to do would be to take you on a date first. Woo you properly.” He fingered the hem of Remus’s shirt.

Remus’s breath caught and he pulled away. “When?” he asked.

    “Is tomorrow too soon?”

    Remus bit his lip and thought for a few moments.  His joints were already aching with the full moon coming the following night and the fact that he kept his affliction a secret from all but a select few. Sirius noticed him hesitate and took a step back.

    “Too soon,” he said to the floor. His heart began to sink. He had thought that they were making progress, that Remus was feeling what he felt, and kicked himself for misreading the signals.

    “No, no,” Remus reached for him again. “It’s not that, I promise, it’s just…”

    “He already made plans with me!” Dorcas chirped, suddenly appearing at his side. “So sorry, Black, but I finally got him to agree to take me to the muggle cinema to see _Star Trek_ .”  
    Sirius failed to keep the disappointment out of his voice when he said, “Oh, well if you already have plans… Wait, what’s a _Star Trek_ ?”  
    “Dorcas, no,” Remus said. “I want him to know.”  
    “Are you sure?”  
    “Yes.”  
    Dorcas wandered back into the kitchen and Remus breathed for a minute as he heard her saying goodbyes to Lily and the others. He looked back at Sirius who looked bewildered.  
    “Sirius,” he began and took a deep breath. “Sirius, there’s something about me you need to know. The reason I can’t go out with you tomorrow even though I really, truly want to.” He cast his eyes about as though a simpler way to confess his secret would appear if he looked anywhere but Sirius’s eyes. He finally settled for staring down at his hands and saying just above a whisper, “I can’t tomorrow because it’s the full moon.”

    Sirius stared at him for a moment in confusion before the words sank in and the scars on his face and hands began to make horrifying sense. He thought back to their conversation at the pub, the scars he’d glimpsed under the sleeves of his jumper, how Remus hadn’t gone to Hogwarts because he’d been ill as a child – ill, of course, because of the full moon.  
    “You’re a werewolf.” It wasn’t a question, but he wanted to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood.  
    Remus nodded. “I understand that this changes things. I just couldn’t go out with you and keep it a secret. You deserve to know.” When Sirius didn’t reply but continued to stare, he stepped back and said, “I understand. I’ll go. I hope you’ll continue knitting but I realize you may wish to do so outside of the shop. I would, of course, appreciate it if you didn’t mention it to the other patrons but – ”  
    “Remus,” Sirius grasped his wrist to prevent him from moving away further. “I’m sorry. It was just a bit of a surprise but of course it makes sense. You daft nutter, of course I still want to go out with you!”  
    “You – really?”  
    “Yes, and of course I wouldn’t go blabbing or stop coming by the shop. Every time I’ve seen you you’ve been just a regular person. So you’ll be a werewolf tomorrow night, it’s only one night a month. You’re not a monster or anything, you’ve just got a…problem.”  
    Remus gaped at him. “You mean… You’re not afraid of me?”  
    “Afraid of you? With your jumpers and curls and hats and your yarn? Honestly, I’m more afraid of hormonal Lily.”

“I heard that!” came a distant voice from the kitchen and Remus paled.  
    “It’s fine,” Sirius soothed. “They won’t be any more concerned than I am, which is to say, not at all. So no date tomorrow. When will you be feeling up to it? I imagine the… transformation takes a lot out of you?”  
    Remus still couldn’t believe his luck, that instead of being chased out of the village at wand-point he was being asked on a proper date with properly gorgeous Sirius Black. “Erm, I should be fine by the 4 th ? Friday night alright?” he asked.  
    “Shall I pick you up at the shop? What time will you be closing?”  
    “Six. Fridays are slow so I can probably close up a bit early, head upstairs to freshen up and meet you back downstairs right at six.”  
    Sirius reached up and brushed a kiss on Remus’s cheek. “I’ll see you on Friday then.”

After a round of goodbyes and one more reassurance from Sirius that he would see him on Friday, Remus left with Dorcas and pondered this new twist of fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter! Thank you all for your sweet comments and support so far; I'm so glad you're enjoying it. 
> 
> *For those wondering: Bathilda Bagshot (who lives in Godric's Hollow according to Book 7) gave Lily and James a set of wizarding children's books - including a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard - for baby Harry.
> 
> To those of you that will be celebrating this weekend, have a very Merry Christmas and/or a very happy First Night if you celebrate Hanukkah. 
> 
> I'm on Tumblr as [WritingWillow](http://writingwillow.tumblr.com/)


	4. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A proper date and the fulfillment of a New Year's Resolution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks again to [JMiller](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Jmiller/pseuds/Jmiller) and [Worthfull1](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Worthfull1/pseuds/Worthfull1) for the alpha reading and hand-holding. Eternal gratitude to [AccioMasterofDeath](http://acciomasterofdeath.tumblr.com/) for being a phenomenal beta and all around sweetheart.
> 
> This final chapter is quite short and I apologize, but I had to split up chapter three somehow and this was the most natural place to do it.

    The next night’s moon was somehow less brutal than previous ones. The transformation still hurt like hell and he ached the following day, spending most of it in bed, dozing from the pain potions he took by rote. But somehow, the knowledge that not only was Sirius not afraid of him but in fact willing to go on a real date with him filled him with such hope that he was distracted from the aches in his joints and stiffness in his taxed muscles.

    Remus stood in front of his wardrobe on Friday evening after closing the shop a few minutes early in despair over what to wear. He settled for his softest jumper along with gloves and a hat since he wanted to be warm. He very quickly ran down the back stairs to meet Sirius as the clock had just struck six and he didn’t want to be late.  Sirius was waiting when he reached the back door and smiled at him.

    “So… Erm, how – how was the moon?” Sirius asked shyly.

    Remus hesitated before answering. So few people ever asked him that and he was still uncertain of how much to share with Sirius. “It was…okay,” he said at last.  When Sirius didn’t pull away or appear to lose interest, he added, “It’s never _good_ , but this one wasn’t as bad as the others usually are. I had this to look forward to, didn’t I?”

    Sirius beamed at him and took his hand. “This okay?” he asked softly.

    “Of course,” Remus replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “Erm, where are we headed?”

    “Well, I thought we might try someplace muggle. Do you like Indian?”

    “Love it.”

    Sirius led him through Diagon Alley and out the muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron. Sirius’ motorbike was sitting at the curb, chrome glinting in the streetlights. With a delighted look, Remus glanced at Sirius, who handed him a spare helmet.

    With a roar the bike took off and Remus reveled in getting to cling to Sirius’s back. The wind whipping his face, the engine and surrounding traffic roaring in his ears, and the solid warmth directly in front of him filled him with an exhilarating sense of freedom he rarely experienced. Sirius easily maneuvered in and out of London traffic, mindful of Remus holding on to him but striving to keep his focus on his driving rather than the warm body wrapped around his.

    Once in the restaurant, their conversation was a bit stilted after placing their orders.

    “So, erm, what do you do other than knitting and spoiling unborn godchildren?” Remus asked, wincing inwardly at his poor delivery.

    Sirius shrugged. “Not much, really. James and I were going to join the Aurors together but… Halfway through training it seemed to lose its appeal. A lot more protocol and paperwork and a lot less chasing down bad guys and dueling in dank alleys.” He ran a hand through his long hair. “I’m very much not the paperwork type,” he chuckled. “In case you hadn’t picked up on that.”

    “Oh, I assumed as much,” Remus said.

    “Yeah. So for now I’m living off an inheritance left to me by an estranged uncle, since my family disowned me. That’s actually part of what brought me into your shop,” he brightened. “The Black Sheep – it’s a bit of an inside joke considering …” He trailed off a bit when he saw Remus’s look of concern.

    “Disowned you?” he asked. “Seriously?”

    “I’m always Sirius,” the other man said cheekily.

    Remus scoffed and rolled his eyes but the corners of his mouth quirked as he kept a smile from escaping.

    “Truly, though,” Sirius said. “I wouldn’t fall in line with their pureblood superiority, their political leanings, the future my parents had already decided _for_ me,” he sighed. “Then to come out and say, ‘I don’t want to marry my cousin, I’d rather blow the Quidditch team,’ well… That was the last straw.” He caught Remus’s eye and said, “I’m so sorry, this is terrible dinner conversation. I usually save the bitter family history for a third date.”

    Remus chuckled a bit but said, “No, it’s fine. I – I like hearing about you. Your experiences with your family sound awful but those experiences are part of what make you who you are. I’m sorry they weren’t the supportive family you deserved,” he finished quietly.

    “It’s alright, really,” Sirius was earnest. “James’ parents took me in and they were the best. Truly. Jamie and I joke all the time that I was actually their favorite son.” He smiled a bit crookedly, cocking his head like a dog. Then their food arrived and they tucked into rice, naan, and curries of all colors while Sirius regaled Remus with tales of his school days.

 

    “And then Pete ran in, sopping wet, and said, ‘I saw the whole thing, Professor, they’re telling the truth!’ before he realized that the whole plan had fallen apart as soon as we flooded the corridor.”

    Tears were streaming down Remus’s face and he was gasping with laughter. “Wha – what happened with the cat?”

    “Professor McGonagall _was_ the cat! We hadn’t learned about Animagi in Transfigurations yet so we had no idea she’d been watching us the whole time. When she transformed we were so scared we were going to be expelled but instead she just gave us detention for a week and suggested we come up with a better alibi next time.”

    “And the three of you became inseparable after that?”

    “Yeah, that was our first real prank. It was terrible, compared to our more brilliant schemes, but it cemented our bond.”

    “I feel so bad for the other boys in your dorm,” Remus chuckled.

    “Aww, Frank didn’t mind too much. He had plausible deniability anyway, since he spent most of his time in the common room while we were busy plotting.”

 

    The ride back to Diagon Alley was quick as it was late and there was very little traffic. Remus clung to Sirius’s back and closed his eyes against the chilly January wind as Sirius wound the motorbike through the streets. Once they reached The Leaky Cauldron, it was Remus who reached out to take Sirius’s hand, and the dark haired man grinned at him as they walked but said nothing.  Remus felt his stomach flip at the sight of that smile, nervous anticipation swirling in his chest as they walked along the darkening street.

    Remus led them around the back of his shop to the door leading to his flat. He fumbled with his free hand at the door, and looked at Sirius with searching eyes.

    “So, er, this is me,” he said softly.

    Sirius leaned against the wall and sly smirk spread across his face. Remus considered how unfair it was that someone could do such a simple action so gracefully.

    “Yup,” Sirius said, making no move to walk away or release Remus’s hand from his own. “I had fun tonight,” he continued. “I hope you did, too.”

    “Yes, yes I did, thank you,” Remus answered, eyes never leaving Sirius’ mouth.

    Sirius pushed himself away from the wall against which he had been leaning so expertly and leaned in until he was nose to nose with Remus. “I’d really like to kiss you,” he murmured.

    A wolfish gleam lit in Remus’s eyes, and he pushed Sirius up against the wall, kissing him fiercely. When he broke off to breathe, Sirius laughed and twisted his fingers in the soft wool of Remus’ jumper.

    “You know,” he murmured, “I never would have thought of you as the aggressive type, but I kind of like it.”

    Remus chuckled, “I hope it’s a pleasant surprise.”

    “Hmmm,” Sirius hummed, petting Remus’ jumper again, then laughing, “Maybe you’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” he said, and tugged him close to kiss him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! That's the end! Thank you all so much for reading; your comments and kudos and reblogs have filled my little heart with so much joy and it's been so gratifying to finally get this work up and know that other people like it too. 
> 
> Oh, who am I kidding? That's not _really_ the end. There will be a sequel (a one- or two-shot) coming your way on Valentine's Day because I'm not done with these two or this little 'verse just yet.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr at [WritingWillow](http://writingwillow.tumblr.com/)for updates and details if that's your thing. xoxo

**Author's Note:**

> The pattern Remus recommends is the [ Churchmouse Stay-On Baby Booties](www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stay-on-baby-booties-4) pattern, which is one of my favorites and a go-to project when someone I know is expecting. While it is a relatively simple pattern, I do *not* recommend it for first-time knitters. 
> 
> If you're interested in learning to knit, I cannot stress enough the importance enough of seeking out your local yarn shop. You can't go wrong for learning, expertise, and community.
> 
> I'm on tumblr as [WritingWillow](http://writingwillow.tumblr.com/)


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